Webinar series: Air pollution mitigation using passive techniques in the built environment

As research continues to identify further links between air pollution and its impacts on human health, it is therefore a prerogative of the research community to identify solutions to help mitigate against this global problem. In parallel to technological solutions that can control the source of this pollution, how we respond to this challenge and present methods for alleviating personal exposure to pollution is central to delivering a healthy urban environment for all people.

Hosted by Trinity College Dublin and Cornell University, this webinar series aims to bring together global experts to participate in a community forum for the dissemination of information relating to best practice around passive mitigation of air pollution in the built environment. Experts will provide their unique experiences relating to how they have gathered evidence relating to these passive techniques for air pollution mitigation, such as green infrastructure, solid barriers and urban design. They have done so in a range of methods: from real-world monitoring assessments to experimental wind-tunnel studies and theoretical simulations at micro- and macro-scales. A range of external air pollution specialists will also provide external contributions to the community of researchers working in the area of passive mitigation techniques to air pollution.

The series will take place across eight sessions in 2019, via monthly online presentations and interactive discussion sessions with international speakers from around the world. Each webinar will include two speakers who are experts in the field, coming from backgrounds of research, practice and governance. The discussions following these presentations will help identify remaining gaps in knowledge and will guide further research priorities to maximise the impact of these solutions. The outputs from the webinar series will help inform those implementing passive techniques for air pollution mitigation in the built environment of best practice on an international stage, which can support the response to protecting our urban inhabitants.

• 1–1.5-hour monthly meetings: Expert researchers in the field to give 25-minute talks, with the objective of speakers from different continents in each session)
• 2-3 speakers per webinar topic area: It will maximise discussion times to promote international collaboration
• The Webinar series will be hosted by Cornell University via the ZOOM platform
• 16:00 (GMT or BST) on the final Thursday of each month

Thursday 28th March: Delving into passive techniques for air pollution mitigation

• Welcomes & introduction: Asst. Prof. John Gallagher, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland; Prof. Max Zhang, Cornell University, New York, USA
• Introduction to upcoming sessions and ‘setting the scene’ panel discussion: Prof. Prashant Kumar, University of Surrey, United Kingdom; Dr. Richard Baldauf, US Environmental Protection Agency, USA; Dr. Stijn Janssen, Vito NV, Belgium
• Chairs: Asst. Prof. John Gallagher, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland; Prof. Max Zhang, Cornell University, New York, USA

Thursday 25th April: Solid Barriers: Air Pollution Dispersion Around Existing Infrastructure

• Presentation: Prof. Akula Venkatram, University of California, Riverside, USA
• Presentation: Assoc. Prof. Aonghus Mcnabola, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
• Chair: Prof. Prashant Kumar, University of Surrey, United Kingdom

Thursday 30th May:  Green Infrastructure: Their Role in Air Pollution Abatement

• Presentation: Dr. Sara Janhäll, Rise Research Institutes of Sweden, Sweden
• Presentation: Dr. David Nowak, USDA Forest Service, USA (TBC)
• Chair: Dr. Richard Baldauf, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, USA

Thursday 27th June: Urban Design: Informing Change Through Advancements in Modelling

• Presentation: Dr. Vlad Isakov, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, USa
• Presentation: Dr. Vera Rodrigues, University of Aveiro, Portugal
• Chair: Dr. Stijn Janssen, Vito NV, Belgium